Renting when on benefits

SouthCoast

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a new way of calculating Housing Benefit for tenants renting accommodation from private landlords. It was introduced nationally on 7 April 2008.

It applies to private sector tenants who make a new claim for benefit and for existing customers on Housing Benefit who change address or move into private sector accommodation.

From:

https://lha-direct.therentservice.gov.uk/Secure/AboutUs.aspx

clutton_2

house 184 - brilliant post many thanks

i think different council interpret housing law in differing ways - dependent on how much housing stock they have themselves. i have evicted folks and had to go right thru to the bailiffs arriving before a council house was offered.

the law says that LHA is paid to the tenant - UNLESS the tenant can prove they are vulnerable - you cannot just "ask" and the council says "yes we will pay the :"

some councils want a social workers/doctors/treatment centre report to prove vulnerability - others want a letter from the tenant - there does not seem to be any ruling on what "vulnerability" means.

i have an 18 year old with twins on direct payment to me at present, due to the fact that this is her first time away from home - the council have agreed a 6 months trial period...

this law is new and there have been no test cases as to what constitutes vulnerability as yet - we need one desperately